A cake made with tomato soup

Lois Peregoy, an 80-year-old grandmother from Baltimore, was looking for a recipe she lost long ago for a cake made with tomato soup.

Harriett Heyman, also from Baltimore, had the recipe that Peregoy was looking for. She found it in her old Campbell's soup cookbook that she purchased with saved soup-can labels in the 1960s.

Other readers also had this recipe in their collections. It clearly was a popular cake, and it is easy to understand why. This is a moist and tasty spice cake that would still be terrific to serve today.

Tomato Soup Cake

Makes 8-10 servings

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground cloves

½ cup shortening

1 (10¾-ounce) can condensed tomato soup (divided use)

2 eggs

½ cup chopped nuts (optional)

½ cup raisins (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 8-inch round layer pans or one tube or bundt pan. Sift dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

Add shortening and half can soup. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes with electric mixer or 150 strokes by hand. Add remaining soup and eggs. Beat 2 more minutes, scraping bowl frequently. Stir in nuts and/or raisins, if using.

Pour batter into prepared pan or pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes if using 8-inch pans or 55 to 60 minutes in tube or bundt pan. Test with a toothpick to make sure cake is completely baked. Let stand 10 minutes; remove from pan and cool on rack. Frost with a cream-cheese frosting or your favorite white frosting, if desired.

Per serving (based on 10 servings): 295 calories, 4 grams protein, 11 grams fat, 4 grams saturated fat, 45 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fiber, 42 milligrams cholesterol, 301 milligrams sodium.

Recipe Requests: John Russ of Salisbury, N.C., is looking for a recipe for Clams Casino Soup. He had it at a club called Orioles in Martinsburg, W.Va.

Ann Paszkiewicz of Fallston, Md. , is seeking a recipe at least 35 years old called "Rice Cheese Bake." The sauce was made with Swiss cheese.

If you are looking for a hard-to-find recipe or can answer a request, write to Julie Rothman, Recipe Finder, The Baltimore Sun, 501 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, MD 21278, or e-mail recipefinder@baltsun.com.